MTBS Production and Release Schedule
MTBS fires are assessed and mapped based on the biophysical setting in which they occur. A significant proportion of MTBS fires are mapped using post-fire imagery acquired the year after they are suppressed to consistently and accurately capture ecological burn severity and fire effects. Please see the Project Overview for more details on the assessment strategies used by MTBS.
Historically, the MTBS Program has focused on completion of the mapping of an entire year of fires which is typically the year prior to the current calendar year. Currently, the MTBS team is mapping fires from 2023, 2024 and 2025 fire season in order for data to be available closer to the date of fire ignition. The team is planning to have 2023 and 2024 fires completed by the end of FY2026. Fire mapping activities are continuously conducted by the program and completed data are reviewed and released on a quarterly schedule. Users should anticipate access to data for newly mapped and/or revised mappings of fires on the MTBS website in early February, May, August and November. Deviation from this schedule is possible to address data production considerations. Please see Announcements for dates and related information on previous MTBS data releases.
